The rotating stage lights beamed brighter and whirled on their axles. They began unsynchronized, pointing in different directions. Slowly, they descended. Since they needed participants, it would be better if they chose a pair close to the event space. A pair chosen from the 3rd floor would be quite troublesome.
The MC walked down the platform. He wore a blue sequined jacket over a white button down shirt with a ruff around the neckline. The vibrant purple shoes he wore stood out against his black slacks. He strolled over to the line of couples.
“Hello, I’m Giorno. I’d like to make a request. Can you assist me today?” He asked a random guy.
“Uh, sure?” The answer came out monotonously.
“Great! I appreciate it” the MC held up his card, gesturing towards the stage lights, “I mentioned previously that the lights would stop rotating if someone says ‘Stop!’ and I don’t really have the best of luck when it comes to timing so would you mind saying it for me?”
“Sure… I guess.”
“Wonderful, wonderful.”
Then, the MC pointed the microphone towards him, mumbling, “Whenever you’re ready.”
Somehow the center section of the mall went still and quiet. Despite how small the event seemed to be, it started to gather a lot of attention.
Alex and Logan stood behind a group of people. They only had a narrow space to watch the event from. They seemed pretty safe from the organizer’s tactics. Alex chewed off the last bit of her cone in one big bite. It puffed out her cheeks a bit but it was okay. The explosion of creamy flavor in her mouth was worth it.
Then, someone grabbed her from behind, “Found you!”
Emily tugged at her cousin’s shoulder with Jae behind her. They had been on their way to the ice cream parlor when Jae spotted the pair. She immediately led a detour towards them. Like Alex predicted, Emily didn’t mind their absence—that didn’t mean she felt any better about the blonde oaf.
“Stop!”
The stage lights did as they were told, both of them aimed in the same direction. Despite the cramped space, there was no mistaking where their bright rays pointed at. The people they landed on had to shield their eyes with their hands, momentarily blind.
Giorno’s voice from the speakers, “I see we have two pairs!”
The crowd near the beams moved away to make a clear bath. Some of them immediately took a step back from fear, making sure no touch of light found their skin. The MC followed the path of the light. This gave the chosen participants time to blink out the black spots in their eyes.
“There really are two couples!” He announced.
Alex instantly shook her head once she could see well, “We’re not couples.”
The MC put down the microphone and replied, “It doesn’t have to be necessarily a couple. We only need one boy and one girl to make a pair” then, he spoke to the audience again, “Do we have enough materials for one more couple to join in?”
A staff member gave him a thumbs up from near the stage and Giorna cheered, “Alright, let’s get everyone inside the game floor!”
Before Alex, Emily, Jae and Logan could protest, several staff members came up behind them. They urged, pulled and pushed them towards the event. They had been completely surrounded. The line up of couples had also been escorted to the main space. All 11 pairs were positioned into a circle, facing the center.
Emily had a moment of momentary weakness. She almost asked Alex to switch places but the game was a chance for her cousin and Logan to grow closer together—and to share Lauren a story, of course.
“Here is how it goes” the MC explained from the platform while the staff members finished the preparation, “We’ll have a combination of ‘Shrinking Island’ and ‘Musical Chairs’. When the music plays, you’ll be walking around the set of newspapers laid out in front of you. Each round, we’ll have a dance move for you to do. When the music stops, the pair must find a newspaper to stand on. No newspaper? You’re out. Quite simple, isn’t it? If any of you refuse to cooperate, you’ll be joining the second game. I hope you won’t because the grand prize today is two all expenses paid spa trip at the Red Panda Hotel.”
Alex groaned beside Logan. She knew someone who would definitely want it. Logan raised his eyebrows at her. She merely nudged her head over her shoulder. Logan shifted his eyes to follow it.
True enough, Emily had a new light in her eyes. Jae peeked over to see what the fuss was about. The blonde elf turned around to point a finger at him, glaring, “You better take this seriously because I want those tickets.”
Jae set aside the finger pointed at him, “I am nothing but competitive.”
“Don’t you want those tickets?” Logan whispered to Alex.
“I just want to win it for Emily if they don’t do it themselves” Alex chuckled. Her cousin could be competitive if she wanted to. Alex, on the other hand, just tries her best to not be a killjoy.
“Second prize is a tub of free ice cream. The flavor would depend on what’s available at the parlor and of your choosing” the MC continued to explain.
Alex tapped Logan’s shoulder, “Forget about them I want that ice cream.”
Logan beamed, raising his hand for a high-five, “Then, we’ll do our best, partner.”
“Let’s get the music started! First dance move is the chicken dance! Fairly simple, just bend your arms into chicken wings and fly my lovely birds.”
A staff member signaled the participants to start moving and dancing. Everyone tucked their hands under their armpits and started to flap like a chicken. A crowd started to stand by closer to the event. Some couples had friends who cheered for them. Others had their family.
The Greenwoods and the Parkers had two ladies in a spa far away from the event wondering if their scheme had been successful. They could only hope the teenagers had been at the right place and at the right time.
The music suddenly stopped.
All the couples scrambled to find a newspaper. Staff members assisted them by saying that they should keep their feet on the newspaper and have no body part touching the floor.
Emily and Jae stood back to back. Jae was able to snatch a newspaper first and Emily followed behind him. Alex and Logan also were able to stay in the game, their chests almost touching.
“Oof” Alex uttered. She almost lost her balance by trying not to touch Logan. As a result, Logan had to grab her arms to steady her.
“You okay?” He whispered.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine” She stared at the floor and hoped her extensions could hide the blush on her face. Being this close to a guy in front of an audience was something way out of her comfort zone.
“Alright. We’re down to 10 couples. Now, for those who remain kindly fold the newspaper you’re standing on in half. Then, we’ll start round 2.”
While Jae folded the newspaper, Emily pressed her lips together. She should have known there was another twist. The smaller the space, the harder it would be for a pair to stay afloat.
“Next move! Let’s have the macarena, please!”
The DJ unpaused the music and the pairs fell into one line again, walking around the newspapers. One guy actually squatted for a moment to complete the Macarena. He only stood up because his girlfriend had been pushing his shoulders to move.
Soon, the music got cut and the couples moved on to the newspapers. It still had a lot of space but it condensed the pairs closer together.
For a moment, Emily reflexively touched Jae’s arms. They still did their back to back tactic but she almost tilted from the lack of space.
“You alright?” Jae asked over his shoulder.
“Of course” Emily rolled her eyes, “You’re a boulder and I’m a stick. What did you expect?”
Next to them, Logan had been ready. He immediately wrapped an arm around Alex.
“Can’t risk you falling off now” he joked, his breath brushing her hair. It smelled like strawberry candy. He couldn’t help but think how she fit into his arm.
“Everyone is doing so well!” Giorno boomed into the mic with a laugh, “Wonderful, wonderful. Our couples are really good. Again, fold your newspapers and dance like a robot!”
New music filled the air and around the mall. More people watched the event. Not only on the ground floor but the upper floors had onlookers as well.
When the music stopped this time, Jae had one foot on the newspaper while Emily had both of hers. They were small enough to fit—though some of her toes overlapped Jae’s foot.
“You have a good sense of balance, huh?” Emily commented. She would have thought he’d be unsteady with only one foot on the newspaper. In the end, it had been her who held onto him again.
She got a smirk in reply, “Of course, I do. I did tell you I am competitive.”
Alex shifted her feet, trying to find a good position. It turned out to be harder than it looked. Standing on the newspaper was Logan while she stood over his feet. At the slightest imbalance, her arms immediately went around his shoulders.
Logan helped her stay afloat by holding her waist. The tips of his fingers almost touched based on small it was.
Silver gray eyes met emerald green ones. Alex did her best not to breathe too much, thinking it would be rude if it kept brushing Logan’s face. In the back of her hand, she thanked Ms. Smith for the English project. Their presentation that day helped make this moment less awkward.
She suddenly had a thought, “How do you think this will end?”
Logan glanced over her head and spotted a girl being carried by a guy on his back. His eyed still on them, he said, “I imagine I have to carry you at some point.”
===
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